All of a sudden....HUNGER!

[HumanMerelyBeing 287]

I was sleeved on 2/4/214. I've been going along fine, trying to get in my liquids and my Protein etc and struggling at that right up through day 14, 15...then yesterday Day 16 - my appetite returned and I am hungry!! Same thing today.

And now I really want to eat every 2 to 3 hours or so. And I'm not having heartburn and I can drink my liquids without any difficulty. Like - Bam!! It just happened. I do get full after a few ounces of pureed and soft foods, but like seriously a switch feels like it just flipped in my system and it wants food again and can tolerate it. Yesterday, I edged up to about 450 calories and today I'll probably hit over 500.

Wow - I just didn't expect it to be so sudden. A few days ago I didn't think I'd ever get back to real eating again.

Is this normal?

As an aside, in the midst of all this: I am feeling like a WLS failure as I haven't lost one pound since day 7 post-op. I have this lingering doubt like maybe I went through all this and it just won't work for me. I am trying to be more rational, but it's bumming me out.

Edited February 21, 2014 by HumanMerelyBeing

[BigGirlPanties 957]

Be POSITIVE...

you have lost almost 40 pounds in under a month!!

That's more than a pound a day...when was the last time you lost a pound a day???

You'll get there.... you may need to up your Protein intake... call your dr with your concerns!

You've GOT this!

Edited February 21, 2014 by BigGirlPanties

[HumanMerelyBeing 287]

Thanks for the encouragement. The first 18 pounds I lost during my nutrition visits over 4 months. Then I lost 11 on the pre-op diet and now 10 since surgery - but all in the first week. Then absolutely nothing for the last 2 weeks.

I'm thinking my body must be in starvation mode until I can start getting more in.

[BigGirlPanties 957]

Every "body" reacts differently...remember you just had MAJOR surgery...so your body may be reacting to that as well... it will happen...you'll probably get on the scale, soon and VIOLA... 10 pounds gone ... it'll be ok...keep on doing the right thing

[rbtnln 81]

I had the exact same thing happen to me. 15 pounds after surgery and not another pound until at least a month later. Your body is freaked out completely. You just put it through a major trauma of having MAJOR surgery and now you're barely feeding it. It's freaking out. So, it's holding on to everything. I promise - PROMISE - it'll come off. I went to see my nutritionist two weeks after surgery because I was so upset about not losing more weight. She told me to stop weighing every day (I was obsessed) and only weigh once or twice a week. If you can't control yourself, ask someone in your house to take the scale so you can't. Put it in your trunk so it's a pain in the neck to pull out of the car and weigh. Your body will adjust to the new lifestyle and so will you. Once the hunger came back for me, it came back with a vengeance. I was eating more than 3 times a day and never felt satisfied. I thought I was going to be the first sleeve patient to not lose weight! But, about 2 weeks ago, things evened out. I ate only when I was truly hungry and never got to the point where I felt like "Oh, I am STARVING!". I feel happier, more satisfied, and I am losing weight steadily. It will even out for you. You'll have weeks where you lose and weeks where you don't. The end result is no matter when or how you lose, you will never be that old weight again. Never.

[Arts137 1,811]

Yep.. Just heal, drink sip Water, get your Proteins in and the weight will come off. All is kattywumpus while in the acute recovery. They DID take 85% of your stomach, after all...

[JeanZ_RN 378]

Even though you're not feeling true heartburn, the hunger sensation might be from gastric acid. If you're already on a medication for that (like Prilosec) you might benefit from having the dose increased; or if you're not on one you might benefit from starting one. Talk to your surgeon about it.

And you are NOT a failure! You haven't had TIME to decide that yet! Take a deep breath and relax. Follow the rules and you WILL lose, I promise!